Infant&#39;s garment



March 13, 1951 P. M. ROGATZ INFANTS GARMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May22, 1947 PziaPZ F0 EZ'Z March 13; 1951 p, RQGATZ. 2,544,726

'INFANT'S GARMENT Filed May 22, 1947 I s Sheets-Sheet 2 March 13, 1951P. M. ROGATZ 2,544,726

mum's GARMENT Filed May 22, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 H a a /6 Patented Mar.13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INFANTS GARMENT Pearl M. Rogatz,Milwaukee, Wis. Application May 22, 1947, Serial No. 749,843

Thi invention relates to improvements in garments for infants and refersparticularly to a diaper-like garment.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide a garment suitable foruse on infants in lieu of the conventional diaper and while some ofthese past innovations had advantages over the diaper, no garment ofthis type heretofore available has been wholly satisfactory.

Among the reasons that might be mentioned for the failure of garments ofthi type heretofore available, are the following:

1. Excessive costs-The entire diaper had to be removed to be laundered;so-called soakers and rubber panties were required.

2. Difficulty in application.-Because of the inevitable variation in theinfants contours, size and weight, diapers heretofore available were notdesigned to especially conform to the infant's body Hence theapplication of the garment or diaper required considerable time toassure its not being too tight or too loose.

3. Hazards incident in appZz'cation.The use of safety pins or strings orother loose objects heretofore necessary to hold the diaper or garmentin place provided objects which could be swallowed or entwined about theinfant.

4. Skin irritation.-Where rubber panties were used heretofore they werein direct contact with the infants skin. Such materials often produceskin irritation requiring the care of a physician for their correction.This is particularly apt to happen with allergic infants.

5. Disagreeable odors.-Loose cloth diapers permitted odors to emanatefrom the infant.

Another object of this invention is to provide a garment for infantswhich when in position has a neat pantie-like appearance and cannotchange in shape, shift, or painfully bind the infant.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a garment of thecharacter described having a removable and interchangeable pad quicklyand easily snapped into place on the main pantieforming portion of thegarmentwhich, therefore, may be used repeatedly without washing thuseffecting an economy in first cost and facilitating rapid change.

A further object of this invention is to provide a diaper-like garmentfor infants which incorporates a water-proof shield or liner in such amanner that no part of the waterproof shield or liner comes in contactwith the infant but which is so disposed and arranged as to affordassurance that the infant wearing the garment will be sociallyacceptable.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds this in vention resides in. the novel method and inthe combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claim. It being1 Claim. (Cl. 128-287) understood that such changes in the preciseembodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come withinthe scope of the claim.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two complete examples of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmodes so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view of an infant wearing one of the garments of thisinvention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the garment shown from the rear;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the pantie forming portion of the garmentwith the removable pad detached therefrom;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the removable pad;

Figure 5 is a perspective view looking down into the pantie forming partof the garment, but with no pad in position;

Figure 6 is a fiat plan view of the pad for the pantie forming garment;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a removable pad illustrating amodified adaptation thereof; and

Figure 8 is a plan view of the pantie-forming part of the garmentillustrating a modification thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in whichlike numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates generallythe outer or pantie-forming part of the garment which is designed to fitthe infant somewhat in the nature of a loin-cloth and in which aremovable pad 6 is readily detachably secured. The part 5 is made of twolayers or thicknesses I and 8 of soft textured fabric material of clothwith a lining 9 of water-proof material therebetween.

The water-proof material must be boil-proof and capable of takingconsiderable wear, and capable of preventing the escape of disagreeableodors from the-diaper, as well as seepage of liquid or solid material toadjacent bed linens, and while other material may be used, pliableplastics have been found to be exceptionally satisfactory.

The three layers forming the part 5 are cut to the pattern shown inFigure 6 and then sewed together. 'As shown in Figure 6, the compositeunit when laid flat has substantially an hour glass shape with a narrowmid-portion l0, wide end portions II and I2 and parallel opposite edges[3 and I4 defining the ends of the unit.

The end portion H is somewhat narrower than the end portion l2, but bothare still a substantial amount wider than the midportion Ill. Theportion ll provides the front of the garment while the portion l2 servesas the back. The side edges l5 of the composite unit are cut to the sameshape, and in each instance they extend for a short distanceperpendicularly to the end edges 13 and M as at It, and then angleinwardly to define the narrow mid-portion Ill.

Elastic bands [1 are sewed to the end portions H and [2. The free lengthof these bands are less than the full width of the end portions butstill greater than the width of the mid-portion 10. Thus the elasticbands shirr the end portions into the shape shown in Figure 3.

While the dimensions of the composite unit are, of course, subject tovariation, for illustration those found suitable are as follows: For thefull extended width of the front forming end. portion ll (measured alongthe edge I3) 19 inches; for the opposite back forming end portion(measured along edge [4) 20%; inches; for the width of the mid-portioni0, 12 inches; and forthe length of the unit from the edge 13 to theedge 14,19 inches.

Although the elastic bands i! draw the end portions in, they are,however, each long enough to extend around considerably more than halfthe waist of an infant so that when the garment is in place the ends ofthe two elastic bands overlap a substantial distance as shownparticularly in Figure 5.

Snap fasteners I8 arranged at spaced intervals along the elastic bandsprovide means for securing. the overlapping ends of the hands togetherwith different waist measurements. By virtue of the shape andproportions of the composite unit 5 and the substantial overlap of itsend portions the legs openings 19 are adjustable from almost fullyclosed to a comparatively large size, thus providing a self-adjustingsnug fit on the infants .legs.

The pad 6 is made of a number of thicknesses of soft material preferablya cloth having substantiallbibulosity. Four or more such layers orthicknesses may be used all of which are sewed together along theirmarginal edges. The shape of the pad, as shown in Figure 4, is such asto provide a mid-portion 20 somewhat narrower than the mid-portion in ofthe unit 5 and narrower end portions 2|. Snap fasteners 22 on the padand pantie forming unit provide means for readily removably securing thepad in position. 7

While the provision of a single water-proof linerin the panti formingunit as described is entirely satisfactory and sufiicient, if desiredthe removable pad also can be provided with a water-proof lining orcovering 23 as shown in Figure 7. In this case the water-proof coveringis sewed to the pad only along the side edges thereof, its end edges 24being left free. This facilitates washing the pads as it allowsunrestricted egress of water from between the waterproof covering andthe pad proper. Where the pads are equipped with such water-proofcoverings, the water-proof lining of the pantie forming unit 5 may beomitted'if desired.

It is to be understood, of course, that where the pad shown in Figure '7is employed, it is so applied that its water-proof covering facesoutwardly and does not come in contact with the infant. Another modifiedapplication of the water-proof lining as shown in Figure 8 comprises awater-proof shield 25. This shield is of the size and shape of the pads,andis sewed to the inside of the pantie forming unit 5. Here again theliner 9 may be dispensed with.

From the'foregoing description taken in connection with theaccompanyingdrawings, it will be readily apparent that thisinvention-provides a diaper type garment for infants which has manyadvantages over the use of conventional diapers and constitutesasubstantial improvement over garments of this general type heretoforeavailable. Of the advantages inherent in this invention the followingmay be specifically mentioned:

1. The pad insert is quickly removable.

2. The main diaper of the pantie may be used repeatedly without washing.

3. The specially incorporated water-proof and boil-proof material-iscovered by cloth and does not .come in contact with the infants skin.

4. The pad is so constructed that the plastic water-proof and boil-proofsheet becomes an integral portion of the cloth pad.

5,. No strings or pins are required to secure either the pad or theentire garment in place.

.6. The garment may be applied or changed in the dark without theirritating effect of a light on the babys eyes.

7. Being a permanent part of the garment and interchangeable pad, thesnap fasteners employed to secure the diaper on the infant, cannot beswallowed or loosened and become hazards to the infant.

What I claim as my invention is:

A diaper-like garment for infants comprising: a panti forming unitconsisting of two layers of soft fabric material with a layer ofwater-proof material therebetween, said unit having substantiallyparallel opposite edges and having its sides arcuately cut out to givethe mid-portion of the unit considerably less width than said oppositeedge portions; elastic bands secured to said edge portions and extendingalong the length thereof to shirr the same; a fastener on each end ofeach of said edges; a plurality of fasteners on each of said edgesspaced inwardly from the ends there of and disposed at spaced intervalsalong said edges, said last named fasteners being engageable with saidfirst named fasteners to secure the corresponding side portions of saidopposite edges to one another about the waist of an infant when thegarment is applied loin-cloth fashion with the mid-portion of said'pantie forming unit serving as a crotch and with the opposite edgeportions overlapping a substantial distance over the hips of the wearerto substantially close the sides of the garment, and so that saidoverlapping portions cooperate with said mid-portion to define legopenings automatically adjustable in size, the amount of overlap of saidportions being adjustable by engagement of said first named fastenerswith different ones of said second named fasteners to conform to thewaist of the wearer; a removable crotch pad unit; and cooperatingfasteners on said pad. unit and the panti unit for readily removablyholding the pad in place thereon.

interchangeable and PEARL M. ROGATZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,329,119 George Jan. 2'7, 19201,941,677 Friedman Jan. 2, 1934 2,004,088 Alsop June 11, 1935 2,119,610Tasker June 7, 1938 2,122,417 Fridolph July 5, 1938 2,284,944 ZBruningJune 2, 1942

